It’s the snack choice of summer, slowly melting away those memories of miserable heat and replacing them with cool comfort.
Ice cream in Oklahoma is a big business. Two of the state’s largest ice creameries – Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Stores and Blue Bell Ice Cream – offer tours of their production facilities in Tuttle and Broken Arrow, respectively, by appointment only. Spectators get a chance to see how ice cream is made on a large scale. Braum’s churns out more than 120 flavors of ice cream and frozen yogurt, while Blue Bell is hard at work providing dozens of flavors – including perennial favorites Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Moo-llennium Crunch – for Oklahoma and surrounding states.
If visiting an ice cream factory isn’t in the cards for this summer, create a mini-factory at home by concocting homemade ice cream. Recipes are available all over the internet and in cookbooks that can be checked out from the local public library. Most recipes call for milk, sugar, cream, egg yolks and just a pinch of salt. Add your favorite flavoring, fruit or nuts, churn and enjoy.
Oklahoma’s arts groups, organizations and venues have the state covered and booked through the late spring.
American Theatre Company
ATC begins its 42nd season with The Full Monty, Oct. 21-29, in which a group of steel workers put on a ladies-only strip show. Men show their insecurities, and possibly more. Also: Fully Committed, Dec. 2-10; A Christmas Carol, Dec. 8-23; The Bomb-itty of Errors, March 2-10; Lombardi, May 11-19. www.americantheatrecompany.org
Armstrong Auditorium
In Edmond, theater, music and arts fans flock to Armstrong Auditorium for some of the finest acts anywhere, including The Gershwin Project, when award-winning star conductor/composer Marvin Hamlisch performs with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Sept. 8. Hamlisch has won every big award out there (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), which makes him tops in Armstrong’s new season. There’s more where that came from: Chanticleer, Oct. 25; Romeros Guitar Quartet, Nov. 3; Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nov. 10; soprano Dawn Upshaw, Jan. 19; cellist Lynn Harrell with the Miró String Quartet, Feb. 16; The Chieftains, Feb. 27; Moscow Festival Ballet performs Sleeping Beauty, Jan. 31; Tchaikovsky St. Petersburg State Orchestra, March 1; Doc Severinsen and His Big Band, March 8; StepCrew dance group, March 20; baritone Jubilant Sykes, March 27; Eugenia Zukerman, flute, and Yolanda Kondanassis, harp, April 15; Kuleshov-Mogilevsky Piano Duo, April 22; HWAC Choral Union playing Brahms’ Requiem and Handel’s Coronation Anthems, May 3. www.armstrongauditorium.org
Broadway in Bartlesville
The finest of Broadway shows return to the Bartlesville Community Center in the series, which this season features golden paths, love in paradise and a new musical just wrapping its Broadway run. In the Heights, the 2008 Tony Award-winning musical, shows a Manhattan community bracing for change with exciting music and dance numbers. The tour stops for one performance March 11. Also: The Wizard of Oz, Nov. 15; South Pacific, Jan. 17; Damn Yankees, March 27; Cirque: Pop Goes the Rock, April 20. www.bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com
Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center
What a beginning – Broken Arrow’s first show of the season comes straight from the halls of artistic excellence. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra featuring Wynton Marsalis, Sept. 29, not only highlights one of the most famous trumpeters in the world, but also builds the reputation of this new local arts center. Also: Cirque Mechanics: Boom Town, Oct. 27; Ernie Haas & Signature Sound, Dec. 17; Elvis Lives – The Ultimate Elvis Tribute, Jan. 31; Blast!, Feb. 26; In the Heights, March 10; In the Mood, April 2012. www.thepacba.com
Celebrity Attractions
Once again, Celebrity Attractions brings Broadway excellence to Oklahoma. We’re looking forward to a new musical adaptation, The Addams Family, based on the cult TV favorite, and the crowd-pleaser Jersey Boys, which tells the story of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. Look for shows at Tulsa’s Performing Arts Center and at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall. Tulsa: Memphis, Nov. 1-6; The Addams Family, Jan. 24-29; Stomp, March 6-11; Fiddler on the Roof, May 8-13; Jersey Boys, June 6-24. Oklahoma City: Memphis, Nov. 8-13; The Addams Family, Jan. 17-22; Mamma Mia!, Feb. 15-18; Stomp, March 13-18; Fiddler on the Roof, May 1-6. www.celebrityattractions.com
Chamber Music Tulsa
Bringing the best chamber music ensembles to town requires serious focus and a stellar reputation for excellence and appreciation. This season is no different as CMT welcomes the Imani Winds, considered North America’s leading wind quintet, to Tulsa Oct. 1-2. Also: Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Nov. 5-6; Miró Quartet, Jan. 28-29; Trio Solisti – Feb. 18-19; American String Quartet, March 17-18; Aviv Quartet, April 14-15. www.chambermusictulsa.org
Choregus Productions
For an organization that has been around but for a few years, Choregus Productions remains as committed as ever to bringing performances of the highest caliber to Tulsa. South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Jan. 22, is booked to bring music tradition and spiritual alchemy to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. A month later, look for The Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers, March 17, featuring original cast members from London’s West End run production bringing moments and songs from the classic comedy film. Also: Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Sept. 16-17; Time for Three, Nov. 5; Keigwin + Company, Nov. 18-19 (dance); Mark Morris Dance Group, Feb. 3-4; Batsheva Dance Company, March 15; Music of the Son: ETHEL with Robert Mirabal, April 28; Diavolo, May 19. www.choregus.org
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Norman’s been waiting since 2007, and the new Stuart Wing – future home to the Eugene B. Adkins Collection of fine art works – is almost ready for the public. The big celebration is set for Oct. 23 from noon-5 p.m. Also on that day, look for reinstallation of the Permanent Collection of Western and Native American art, the icons from the Permanent Collection and No Heaven Awaits Us: Contemporary Chinese Photography & Video.
Also:Rauschenberg: Prints from Universal Limited Arts Editions, 1962-2008, Sept. 24-Dec. 30; Highlights from the Permanent Collection of Photography, Part I, Jan. 27-April 29; A Century of Magic: The Animation of Walt Disney Studios, March 2-Sept. 16, 2012; Oklahoma Clay: Frankoma Pottery, April 20-Sept. 16, 2012; Nineteenth-Century French Master Drawings from the National Gallery of Art, May 13-Sept. 16, 2012. www.ou.edu/content/fjjma
Gilcrease Museum
What would Woody Guthrie have thought of the world today? We’ll never know, yet the simple, plain message he heralded in the 1940s reverberates in the time of overt political spin and rampant celebrity excess. This Land is Your Land: Woody Guthrie at 100, Feb. 5-June 3, coincides with a national salute to the "Dust Bowl Troubadour" beginning with the Grammy Awards in March.
Also: Continuation of To Capture the Sun: Gold of Ancient Panama, thru Jan. 15; America: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of the Nation, thru Jan. 2; Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon, June 24-Sept. 23. www.gilcrease.org
Heller Theatre
Henthorne Performing Arts Center continues to illuminate as the resident Heller Theatre begins work on a new season that includes the contemporary work it’s well known for doing plus challenging, transcendent works, such as Bertold Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle, Jan. 27-Feb. 4.
Also: Miss Witherspoon, Sept. 9-18; Becky’s New Car, Oct. 28-Nov. 6; Banished Children of Eve, May 11-20. www.hellertheatre.com
Living Arts of Tulsa
Watch for this glimpse into the future of art – Momentum: Art Doesn’t Stand Still features the work by Oklahoma artists 30 years and younger in film, performance and a variety of media. This Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition event opens in grand style Oct. 8 with a reception but stays open through Oct. 26.
Also:Cipher, Sept. 2-23; OK Electric Electronic Music Festival, Sept. 17; Indie Emporium, Sept. 30-Oct. 1; Brady Gallery Walk, Oct. 26; Altered Spaces, Nov. 1-5; The Four Elements, Dec. 2-22; Lucas Greco and Marty Coleman, Jan. 6-26; Hack Art Lab and Lindsey Allgood, Feb. 3-19; Erica Mott – Revised & Revisited (New Genre Festival), Feb. 24-25; Joe DalPra and Kate Rivers, April 6-26 (concurrent shows).
Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma
Musicals just keep coming at Oklahoma City’s Lyric Theatre. We’re especially keen on what the troupe does with A Chorus Line, Aug. 2-6, the tale of young dancers with big, bright Broadway dreams.
Also:Altar Boyz, Oct. 12-22; A Christmas Carol, Dec. 9-31; Xanadu, Jan. 25-Feb. 11; Spring Awakening, March 28-April 14; Bye Bye Birdie, June 26-30; Sweet Charity, July 10-14; Call Me Madam, July 24-28; Chita Rivera: My Broadway, Aug. 7-11, 2012. www.lyrictheatreokc.com
Mabee Center
The season is upon us, yes, even before Thanksgiving has been crossed off the calendar. Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, Nov. 17, comes to the Mabee Center and brings plenty of acclaim with it, but audiences who love the traditional telling are sure to enjoy the lavish costumes, sets and dancing. www.mabeecenter.com
National Cowboy & Western Heritage
What do you get when you combine the opening weekend for the Cowboy Artists of America 46th Annual Exhibition and Sale (Oct. 14-Nov. 27), with the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association 13th Annual Exhibition (Oct. 14-Jan. 8)? You get Cowboy Crossings, Oct. 14-15, an uncompromising collection of fine Western art in one location.
Also:Ghost Ranch and the Faraway Nearby, Sept. 23-Jan. 8; Rodeo Historical Society Weekend, Sept. 23-24; Small Works, Great Wonders, Nov. 18. www.nationalcowboymuseum.org
Odeum Theatre Company
This original Tulsa theater group pushes to get contemporary and sometimes startling treasures to its audience. Last year, for instance, saw Tracy Letts’ Bug, Patrick Marber’s After Miss Julie and Neil LaBute’s Reasons to Be Pretty. In November, the gang gets cozy with It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, adapted to the stage by Joe Landry. Odeum will tour the show in Tulsa and through other parts of the state Nov. 18-Dec. 23. Also:She Stoops to Conquer, Spring 2012; Alice & Dorothy, Summer 2012. www.odeumtheatrecompany.com
Oklahoma City Ballet
The 40th anniversary season of Oklahoma City Ballet promises a series of holiday tradition, romantic comedy and enchantment, but the stand-out production is sure to be The Firebird, Feb. 11-12, set to Stravinsky’s powerful composition. The piece accompanies the world premiere of In Between Dreams.
Also:Coppelia, Oct. 22-23; The Nutcracker, Dec. 9-11, 16-18; The Wizard of Oz, April 20-22. www.okcballet.com
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
Franco Mondini-Ruiz and his works have been called clever, nostalgic and exploratory of conceptions of art. Decide for yourself with the installation of more than 1,000 paintings of whimsical objects in Poodles and Pastries – and Other Important Matters, Sept. 8-Dec. 31.
Also:Faded Elegance: Photographs of Havana by Michael Eastman, Sept. 8-Dec. 31; Dale Chihuly: The Collection, reopens January 2012; Princely Treasures: European Masterpieces, 1600-1800, Feb. 16-May 13; Reflections: Glass in Contemporary Culture, June 14-Sept. 9, 2012. www.okcmoa.com
Oklahoma City Philharmonic
Once again, the OKC Phil has outdone itself with a schedule of splendor booked through Spring 2012. Be sure to watch the classics series’ big Season Finale, May 19, with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, considered one of the world’s best pianists and a special Nov. 3 concert when rock musician Ben Folds joins the Phil for a sophisticated jam session.
Classics: Grand Opening Night, Sept. 24, featuring Grammy Award-winning violinist James Ehnes; The Heart of Romanticism, Oct. 15, with pianist Jon Kimura Parker; Mahler 4 & Mozart, Nov. 19, featuring soprano Sari Gruber and pianist Shai Wosner; Commoners and Kings, Jan. 7, with pianist Louis Lortie; Great Moments in Opera, Feb. 4, with fearless soprano Sarah Coburn; Musical Surprises, March 3, with violinist Rachel Barton Pine; Sumptuous Strings, March 31, with violinist David Kim and cellist Carter Brey.
Pops:Mysterioso, Oct. 28-29, featuring illusions of David and Dania, Les Arnold and Dazzle and Joseph Gabriel set to electrifying music; The Christmas Show, Dec. 1-3, with Broadway’s Judy McLane; ABBA – the Concert, Jan. 27-28, with tribute band Waterloo; Cupid’s Wingman, Feb. 24-25, with Tony DeSare (Our Sinatra); Pink Martini, March 23-24, with Thomas Lauderdale and his orchestra; Wicked Divas, April 27-28, with concert hall showstoppers Julia Murney and Stephanie J. Block. www.okcphilharmonic.org
Oklahoma City Theatre Co.
The OKC group knows how to give its audience variety – a drama of the break-up of the nuclear family (Buried Child) is rarely followed by a light-hearted holiday comedy affirming it (The Best Christmas Pageant Ever). The Native American Play Festival, however, becomes an automatic stand-out for launching new works by rarely heard voices. Watch for it June 1-10 when Diane Glancy’s Salvage anchors the 2012 event.
Also: Quilters, Sept. 16-Oct. 2; Buried Child, Oct. 21-Nov. 6; The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Dec. 2-18; Same Time, Next Year, Feb. 3-19; Gypsy, March 8-25; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, April 13-29. www.okctheatrecompany.org
Philbrook Museum of Art
The exhibit Rauschenberg at Gemini concludes Sept. 11, but Philbrook has more to offer in the months ahead, including a look at Southwest life and art. Black on Black & White: The Southwest of Laura Gilpin and Maria Martinez, Feb. 5-April 15, will exhibit Gilpin’s introspective photography along with Martinez’ signature Pueblo ceramic works.
Also:War and Rumors of War: Combat and Commemoration in Native Art, through Oct. 9; Magnificent Vision: Two Centuries of European Masterworks from the Speed Art Museum, Oct. 9-Jan. 8; About Face: Crafting the Modern Portrait, Oct. 16-Jan. 1; The Sinuous Line: Jacques Callot and the Rebirth of Printmaking in Early-Modern France, Jan. 8-April 8; Seeking the Sacred: Religious Ritual in Native American Art, April 1-June 3; This Great Land: Contemporary America on Paper, April 15-July 8. www.philbrook.org
Playhouse Tulsa
The company just won top honors from TATE (Tulsa Awards for Theatre Excellence) for a stellar Macbeth last season. The new season, to us, looks like a stand out, as well: The Origins Project, Oct. 4-9; The Storm Repertory: William and Judith and The Tempest, Feb. 10-19; Urinetown, April 17-22; The Unmentionables, May 6-13. www.playhousetheatretulsa.com
Price Tower Arts Center
Swedish-American architect and designer Greta Magnusson Grossman set up shop during the Golden Age of Hollywood to design for Greta Garbo, Joan Fontaine and other celebrities. When she arrived, she said she would need a “car and some shorts” to fit in. The late designer’s concept of American living is the title of an upcoming exhibit at Bartlesville’s Price Tower Arts Center. Greta Magnusson Grossman: A Car and Some Shorts runs Jan. 20-May 6. Also: look for From Process to Print: Graphic Works by Romare Bearden, May 18-Sept. 2, 2012, which looks at the prolific artist’s work in a variety of media. www.pricetower.org
Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art
The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art continues its exhibit Building the Land: Jewish National Fund Zionist Posters, through Sept. 24, but wait until you see what follows: Andy Warhol: Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century, Oct. 23-Dec. 19, brings depictions of Jewish icons Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Golda Meir, the Marx Brothers and others by the Pop Art idol. Marc Chagall: Drawings for the Bible, Oct. 23-January, examines the Russian-born expressionist artists’ ethereal touch. Also: Out of a Dark Cabinet: Rarely Viewed Treasures from the Permanent Collection, Feb. 15-Sept. 25; Annual Purim Mask Competition, Spring 2012. www.jewishmuseum.net
Signature Symphony
Prominent musicians join the symphony in a season giving patrons the Manhattan Transfer on Jan. 21 plus a dinner and concert event, Titanic: The 100th Anniversary. First experience sumptuous dining (April 13) and hear a musical salute to the people aboard on April 14.
Classics: Tchaikovsky Piano Competition 2011 Winner concert, Oct. 1; Signature Symphony and Chorale, Nov. 5, performing new piece by University of Tulsa’s Joseph Rivers about figures from Oklahoma history; Tchaikovsky Gold Medal Cellist concert, Feb. 11, winner from the 2011 competition; violinist Bella Hristova, March 10; Gustav Holst’s The Planets, April 21.
Pops: Cirque de la Symphonie, Sept. 23-24; Donald & Barron Ryan, Oct. 14-15; Christmas with Sarah Coburn, Dec. 9-10; Signature Big Band, Feb. 24-25; Signature Symphony Reflections, March 16-17. www.signaturesymphony.org
Theatre Tulsa
Sure, Urinetown, Sept. 16-24, has been done before, but it’ll be interesting to see how the oldest community theater group west of the Mississippi River stages this irreverent comedy of the God-given right to use the loo – without paying a toll.
Also: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Oct. 28-Nov. 5; Waiting for Lefty, Jan. 13-21; Effects of Gamma Rays on the Man On the Moon Marigolds, March 9-17; Arsenic & Old Lace, May 11-19. www.theatretulsa.org
Tulsa Ballet
Whether its classic or modern, Tulsa Ballet is always contemporary in its approach to dance, meaning stories such as Romeo and Juliet are as timeless as ever in a world premiere event (Feb. 23-25) choreographed by Edwaard Liang.
Also: The Merry Widow, Sept. 23-25; Nine Sinatra Songs, Oct. 28-30; The Nutcracker, Dec. 10-23; A Ballets Russes Evening, March 30-April 1; Off the Floor: Creations in Studio K, April 27-May 6. www.tulsaballet.org
Tulsa Opera
It’s a theater show. It’s a music hall performance. With Tulsa Opera, you get both in addition to a wonderful time spent with other opera fans ready to shout, “bravo!” Oklahoma’s favorite soprano Sarah Coburn opens the season in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Oct. 8, 14, 16.
Also: The Oklahoma premiere of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, Feb. 25, March 2 and 4; Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, April 21, 27, 29. www.tulsaopera.com
Tulsa Oratorio Chorus
It’s "All About Bach" this season, well, almost as the TOC schedules programs heavy on Johann with a touch of other influential composers. Concert 1, Oct. 15, Trinity Episcopal Church; Concert 2, Pirates of the Caribbean performance, Nov. 12, with Tulsa Symphony Orchestra; Concert 3, Dec. 3, at Holy Family Cathedral; Concert 4, March 24, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center, part of TSO’s season; Concert 5, May 12 at Boston Avenue Methodist Church. www.toconline.org
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
As if there wasn’t enough happening at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center with resident arts groups, the PAC and the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust bring in an array of special guests to play T-Town. Steve Martin will be on stage Aug. 24, with his banjo, some awesome musicians and, we hope, a few punch lines. Steve Martin: An Evening of Bluegrass and Banjo kicks off the season. Also: Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, Sept. 30-Oct. 1; The Borrowers, Nov. 4-5; An Evening with Buddy Valastro: The Cake Boss, Nov. 8; Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood: Two Man Group, Nov. 19; Tinkle, Twonkle, March 23-24; Are You My Mother?, April 20-21; Zorro, April 27-28. www.tulsapac.com
Tulsa Symphony Orchestra
Most know the Tulsa Symphony has the classics covered, but look closer, and you’ll see much more.
Classics:Fate & Folklore, Sept. 10; Larger Than Life, Oct. 22, featuring Crescendo Award-winning violinist Siwoo Kim; Musical Migrations, Jan. 7; The American West, Feb. 4; The Universe in 90 Minutes, March 24, (Mahler’s Symphony No. 3); Musical Fireworks, May 5.
Rock ‘n’ Adventure Series: Beatles Tribute, Oct. 29, with the Classical Mystery Tour band at SpiritBank Event Center; Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl, Nov. 12, with the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus.
Flavors of Europe Chamber Series:Germany, Nov. 18, at the German-American Society Building; Russia and More, Jan. 13, at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame; France, March 9, at Philbrook Museum. www.tulsasymphony.org
No one thinks of going outside in August in Oklahoma unless the lake, pool or boat are involved. But relief is in sight – college football is almost here. Fall, once again, promises the clash of helmets and crowd howls in school colors and revelry.
Oklahoma State University: v. Louisiana-LaFayette, Sept. 3; v. Arizona, Sept. 8; @ Tulsa, Sept. 17; @ Texas A&M, Sept. 24; v. Kansas, Oct. 8; @ Texas, Oct. 15; @ Missouri, Oct. 22; v. Baylor, Oct. 29; v. Kansas State, Nov. 5; @ Texas Tech, Nov 12; @ Iowa State, Nov. 18; vs. Oklahoma, Dec. 3.
University of Oklahoma: vs. Tulsa, Sept. 3; @ Florida State, Sept. 17; v. Missouri, Sept. 24; v. Ball State, Oct. 1; v. Texas, Oct. 8; @ Kansas, Oct. 15; v. Texas Tech, Oct. 22; @ Kansas State, Oct. 29; v. Texas A&M, Nov. 5; @ Baylor, Nov. 19; v. Iowa State, Nov. 26; @ Oklahoma State, Dec. 3.
University of Tulsa: @ Oklahoma, Sept. 3; @ Tulane, Sept. 10; v. Oklahoma State, Sept. 17; @ Boise State, Sept. 24; v. North Texas, Oct. 1; v. UAB, Oct. 15; @ Rice, Oct. 22; vs. SMU, Oct. 29; @ UCF, Nov. 3; v. Marshall, Nov. 12; @ UTEP, Nov. 19; v. Houston, Nov. 25.
He’s a wild and crazy guy on film and stage, but Steve Martin is taking his love for bluegrass music to seriously new heights. Anyone who watched A Capitol Fourth, the Independence Day celebration broadcast from Washington, D.C., on PBS last month, understands that Martin – best known for Saturday Night Live, outrageous comedy films (The Jerk), stand-up comedy in an assortment of wacky headgear – has long moved past stand-up days in a white suit. One thing he has held onto, however, is his banjo. His album, Rare Bird Alert, once again asserts Martin’s abiding interest in American bluegrass music. When he plays the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Aug. 24 with the Steep Canyon Rangers, the prolific actor, comic, author and Grammy Award-winning musician will be in fine form. Let’s hope that also includes a generous helping of laughs on the side. www.tulsapac.com
These days, everyone is keeping an eye on gold futures. It wasn’t any different more than 500 years ago when inhabitants of the Americas wanted to establish wealth and advertise it with the precious metal.
To Capture the Sun: Gold of Ancient Panama, currently on exhibit at Gilcrease Museum, tells a story of a long ago culture, economy and mindset through a collection of more than 250 gold objects.
The museum’s collection, from the Gran Coclé culture of Panama, includes effigy pendants, pectorals, cuffs, bands, ear rods as well as vessels and other ceramics. With this assembly of pieces, visitors can begin to understand how metallurgy affected life in the Western Hemisphere.
The symbolic significance of adornment pieces comes through in details revealing the rituals and belief systems of the people of Panama before the arrival of European ships and the obliteration that followed.
The exhibit contains pieces from 750-900 AD. Visitors will get a look at the methods – such as wax casting – used to create gold and copper alloys that became signature processes to the region and to a people who looked at the products of these works as more than just currency. In the shapes of birds, monkeys, seahorses and other organisms of the natural world, these pieces represented a way for the wearer to connect to the natural and cosmic force of the universe.
To Capture the Sun runs through Jan. 15. Gilcrease Museum is scheduled to display a number of other special exhibits through the end of the year, including its Collectors’ Reserve American Art Exhibit and Sale.
For more information about the Panamanian gold exhibit or other details of Gilcrease, go online at www.gilcrease.org.
With its dark red hues, intimate setting and unpretentious food and service, Rococo Restaurant and Fine Wine has carved a niche in the Shepherd Historic District as a neighborhood favorite.
Previously owned by a purported Italian gangster, the restaurant used to be Tony’s Italian Specialties, a well-known Oklahoma City landmark. As homage to Tony, Chef Bruce Rinehart re-invented the Italian restaurant into Rococo: East Coast fine dining with gangster flair.
After only three months of business, Rococo received much acclaim – with good reason. As a professional chef for more than 30 years, Rinehart has orchestrated 15 restaurant openings for two top-flight restaurant groups in Boston.
In fall 2003, he came to Oklahoma specifically with the intention of opening an East Coast-style restaurant.
Now in full swing, chef owned and operated Rococo has established itself in OKC in two locations with a menu featuring Italian, French and Asian influences. With more than 25 starters to choose from, Rinehart recommends the “cookies,” or savory, bite-sized appetizers: for instance, Nancy’s Cookies, smoked salmon rosettes with horseradish cream, diced red onion and capers.
Guests are reminded to pair cookies with wine from Rococo’s incredible selection.
“I’m really proud of our wine selection,” says Executive Chef Don Duncan.
"We do it one hundred percent, or we don’t do it all,”
“We use local purveyors to get the best wines. We listen to our guests and pick what they want.”
Keeping with their traditions, Rococo also serves pasta in house-made pomodoro, alfredo or olive oil sauces, with chicken, seafood and veggies.
But as Rinehart reminds guests, “We serve the freshest fish shipped from New England. We’re definitely more than just Italian.” The best-selling seafood dish is, without question, the crab cake.
“We try to be humble, but we have the best damn crab cake you’ll ever have,” Rinehart says with a smile. Accompanied by a subtle Thai red chili cream sauce, the jumbo lump crab cake is a must for any newcomer to Rococo.
Last but not least, the international chop house fare is the cream of the crop. You can choose the pan-roasted or grilled ribeye steak, the roast rack of Colorado lamb or pan-roasted stuffed pork chop among a host of others.
“Our menu just goes to show that we don’t cut corners here. We do it one hundred percent, or we don’t do it all,” Duncan says.
And on Sundays, Rococo serves up an incredible brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Rococo recently opened a second location, the aptly named Rococo Northpark, in Northpark Mall in Oklahoma City. 2824 N. Pennsylvania, Oklahoma City. www.rococo-restaurant.com
John Tyler Hammons captured headlines across the country in 2008 when he made the improbable leap from college dorm room to city hall. At the age of 19, the Muskogee teen became one of the youngest mayors in the country with a landslide victory in his hometown.
While Hammons may have initially wooed some voters with his unique personal story and beaming smile, he quickly proved he’s no fluke. “I thought we elected him as a novelty, but that whole idea went away the more I worked with him and got to know him,” Muskogee Councilmember Bob Coburn says.
“He’s good for Muskogee, and he’s done a great job for us.”
The young mayor got right to work with an ambitious first-term agenda that included efforts to improve public health and increase transparency in city government. Voters agreed with those moves and handed the mayor another big election night victory last year, as he defeated Coburn.
And things have only gotten better for Hammons in the second term. He has continued to grow as a leader in the community, while shifting his efforts towards growing the local economy and mulling his next move.
“I have not yet made up my mind if I’ll seek a third term,” Hammons says. “I do greatly enjoy this, but I’ll have to talk to my advisors.”
Hammons knew he had a lot to learn when he took office in May 2008 and quickly found a mentor in Vice-Mayor Robert Perkins Sr. The veteran councilmember, who coached Hammons’ father in pee wee football, was quick to lend a hand to the young mayor.
“I thought he was crazy at first, but ever since he said that I took more of an interest in politics.”
“He supported me, and I learned from his wisdom,” Hammons says. “He’s a great leader in our community, and I enjoyed getting to know him. And obviously with that 50-year difference in our ages, it was a unique opportunity for him to learn about my generation and for me to learn about his.”
Along with the ins and outs of city hall, Hammons learned the importance of time management and building alliances within the community. “Because I was new and fresh and really had no ties to previous administrations, business leaders and community leaders, I had to build those ties very quickly,” Hammons says.
Hammons says his interest in political office was sparked by an assistant principal at Muskogee High School who shared with him a news story about an 18-year-old that was elected in Michigan. The administrator then told Hammons that would be him one day.
“I thought he was crazy at first, but ever since he said that I took more of an interest in politics,” Hammons says.
Hammons believed a run for elected office was in his future, but that day came earlier than expected when incumbent mayor Wren Stratton announced she would not seek re-election in 2008.
“When I was at OU my freshman year I had other things on my mind,” Hammons said. “I was trying to find a major, trying to find new friends, girls obviously and then I saw this news headline and thought, maybe this was the time.”
Although his political future is uncertain, Hammons has drawn a clear path for his education. He plans to finish his undergraduate degree at OU-Tulsa and return to Norman to pursue a joint Master of Business Administration/Law degree. After law school, Hammons, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation, says he would like to return to eastern Oklahoma and work for the tribe.
It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention; intern architect Adam McGaughey ran with that idea for the design of his own Tulsa apartment.
When he made the move from Stillwater to Tulsa to join the architectural team at Cyntergy AEC, he came across apartments converted from a 1924 newspaper warehouse.
“I was drawn to the north-facing windows that gave indirect light, and how open it was. Everything opens onto itself,” McGaughey says. “I tried to work with that. A smaller place means that practicality was a major issue, and you have to create a modular design with things that could have multiple uses.”
McGaughey used a blend of creativity and ingenuity to make the most of every inch of the 989 square-foot residence. Using a blend of stock cabinetry from big box retail stores and his own ideas, he’s modified, if not altogether created, many of the pieces in his apartment. For example, the unit in the living area which houses his television system and extra storage is a blend of linear cabinets from an office supply retailer that were hung on the wall with standard handmade wood boxes covered with Masonite board and painted a shade of orange.
“It creates a built-in look without it actually being permanent,” he explains, adding that the television can be covered with a painting, his own to be exact, with a track system he devised.
Another one of his creations is the coffee table in the sitting area, which features a fire-pit.
“It’s mortar that was poured into forms, then placed on cabinet legs that were originally meant for the cabinets that are under the windows,” he explains.
“The fireplace itself is a modified version of an ethanol fireplace that is found at many high-end modern furniture stores. It’s a thick glass vase found at Target with a metal container placed in the middle.”
“In a large space, a lot of times you can try something out, and it can blend with other stuff, but in a small space you really have to edit yourself.”
Along with his own creations, McGaughey’s furniture selection features many mid-century designs mixed with either vintage or vintage-designed pieces. McGaughey is particularly drawn to Mid-Century style.
“The dining table is a ‘50s Craft & Associates piece I found at a vintage store in Tulsa, and the chairs around the table are new, but based on a vintage design from Charles Eames,” he says.
The concrete flooring flows throughout the apartment, but in order to create a sense of space in the living, dining and sitting areas, McGaughey used a pattern of recycled carpet pieces from Flor to complement the overall color palette of neutral tones with pops of bright color.
The main area is a large, open room, so McGaughey employed the use of strategic lighting, such as the three flat-pack flower-like fixtures that define each of those spaces. With the overall lighting, his approach was to create a warmth and light in all areas. To achieve this, he used a found antique chandelier featured on the floor in the living area as well as other unique lamps.
The entryway and kitchen feature chalkboard paint that McGaughey makes use of regularly.
“I write grocery lists, ideas, everything on the wall. It’s constantly evolving and changing,” he says. “I can even do a pattern that looks a lot like wallpaper.”
Ever the artist, many of McGaughey’s paintings are featured throughout the rooms. The patterned wall treatment in the bedroom is yet another facet of McGaughey’s artistic talents.
“You can’t follow trends,” he says about designing for a smaller space. “In a large space, a lot of times you can try something out, and it can blend with other stuff, but in a small space you really have to edit yourself.”
It’s that element of pressure, to make everything count, that McGaughey finds invigorating.
“You’re constantly editing yourself. It pushes you to be creative. I think that’s why I like it so much.”
Oklahoma State University football star Justin Blackmon doesn’t worry about the past and doesn’t spend too much time thinking about what the future might hold, either.
For a 21-year-old athlete who has the world by the tail, that’s not easy to do. But Blackmon says he takes one day at a time and doesn’t get overwhelmed at what “might happen” in his future.
“I just do my work, practice hard, make sure I pass all my classes and take whatever comes,” says the Ardmore native. “People keep saying this is going to happen, or I might win this award, or I’ll be a superstar in the NFL someday. But I can’t get caught up in any of that, and none of that talk about what might happen really matters – until it happens.”
The 2010 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, the red-shirt junior was also honored with the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver. He currently holds the NCAA record for the most consecutive games gaining 100 yards or more receiving (he had 100 yards in all 12 games the Cowboys played in 2010). He was the first wide receiver ever to be honored as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. As a final jewel in his 2010 crown, Blackmon was named to the College Football All-America team. That’s a bevvy of accomplishments for someone who’s just a third-year sophomore, with two more years of eligibility.
“People are always asking if last year was as good as it could get,” Blackmon says. “And it was good. But it wasn’t great because we didn’t win the Big 12 championship and we didn’t play for a national title.
“If we had won those and my stats had been what they were, then it would have been a great year,” he adds. “But I felt there were a lot of things unfinished last year, and I want to work hard to help change that this next season.”
Although it’s hard to overlook his 1,600 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns during the regular season last year, Blackmon says all those things are “in the past.” He talks about his accomplishments and his abilities humbly and answers every question thrown at him with courtesy and patience.
“I’ve been blessed so much,” he says, referring to his record-setting season in 2010 and the football career he’s enjoyed so far. “We’ve got an incredible team, and we’ve got who I think is the best quarterback in the country in Brandon Weeden.
“The fact that they had a high-powered offense and threw the ball all over the field didn’t hurt any, either.”
“If it wasn’t for my teammates and a quarterback like Brandon, I wouldn’t have caught a single ball last year. All the awards and recognition are nice, but it’s not a one-man game, and our coaches remind us of that all the time.”
Highly recruited out of Plainview High School, Blackmon could have gone just about anywhere to play football. He says he chose Oklahoma State for a number of reasons.
“The people here were great to me when I made my visit,” he says. “And I loved the coaches and it’s in state, so that means my family and friends can be at all the games.
“The fact that they had a high-powered offense and threw the ball all over the field didn’t hurt any, either,” he adds, and laughs. Proud to be playing football in his home state, Blackmon says he loves to be on the football field and know that he’s got family and friends in the stands cheering him on. Despite the incredible success he and the Cowboys enjoyed in 2010, Blackmon came back to Stillwater this summer to work out even harder in preparation for the upcoming season.
Even though most experts agree that Blackmon has a tremendous NFL career ahead of him, the 21-year-old is not in a hurry to play on Sundays.
“If that happens, it would be great,” Blackmon says. “I won’t lie to you. But there are an awful lot of things that I have to take care of one at a time before that ever gets here – if it ever gets here.
“I’d love to play professional football, and I think I could compete and it would be a great challenge and a tremendous opportunity. But I’ve got a lot of unfinished business at Oklahoma State, and that’s the focus of all my attention right now.”
Oklahoma consistently ranks near the bottom of the nation in per-pupil expenditures and teacher salaries. And in light of the state legislature’s cuts to K-12 funding for fiscal year 2012, those numbers aren’t looking any brighter in the near future. As the need to support Oklahoma’s students becomes increasingly important, accomplishing the task has never been more difficult for public schools.
The latest round of cuts – some 4.1 percent – is leading to desperation on the parts of the state’s beleaguered school districts as they struggle to stay afloat while still providing – and improving – educational opportunities for their students.
Oklahoma City Public Schools superintendent Karl Springer puts it bluntly.
“Cuts over the last three years have been horrendous,” he says. “The sky’s not falling, but boy, it’s cloudy.”
For Springer’s district, the state’s budget demands translate to somewhere between $3.8 million and $4.1 million in cuts for the upcoming fiscal year. This, in a district where 91 percent of pupils are on the free lunch program, almost 2,000 are homeless and the student population size is increasing as rapidly as funds are dwindling.
“We have to give students the support and services they need, because their futures and abilities to be successful are unknowable,” Springer says. “We’ve got to recognize that we have future doctors, architects and attorneys, and we need to do what we can to help them be successful.”
The district has undertaken some drastic and creative measures to weather the storm.
“We looked at every aspect of our operation,” Springer says. “We asked, ‘Is this something we absolutely have to do?’ If the answer was no, we stopped doing it.”
Last year, this translated to $11 million in cuts for the district, including teaching positions – initially around 100, although some 30 positions were added back as soon as possible – employee furloughs, slashing energy and overhead maintenance costs, and the sale of buildings owned by the district. According to Springer, $10 million of those cuts will continue for next year – but it is still not enough.
Fact: In Oklahoma City Public Schools 91 percent of pupils are on the free lunch program, almost 2,000 are homeless and the student population size is increasing as rapidly as funds are dwindling.
“Public education is in crisis in our state,” concurs Springer’s colleague, Tulsa Public Schools superintendent Keith Ballard.
Ballard’s district was forced to cut 225 teaching positions last fall, and recently announced a $4.2 million reduction in Tulsa’s special education budget, including $2.3 million in employee position cuts, $1.3 million in contracts with outside mental health service providers and $600,000 in supplies, travel and professional development.
“Previous budget cuts by the state would have impacted special education services earlier,” Ballard says, “but we had been able to fill the gap by using federal stimulus dollars. But those dollars are gone now, and this is the result, which puts us in a difficult position. Of course, we will remain in compliance with the district and federal legal requirements.”
While the community is howling at this latest manifestation of Tulsa Public Schools’ ongoing budget woes, Ballard and Springer both call for Oklahoma citizens to take action.
“I would recommend that anybody who takes issue with these cuts needs to contact their state legislator,” Ballard says. “If we had the $5 million that the state put into the voucher system, that would have paid for these programs we are having to cut. Don’t blame the schools.” While such initiatives as Project Schoolhouse, a massive realignment and reimagining of Tulsa’s individual districts, are set to save Tulsa Public Schools some $5 million, the benefits of the program will not be recognized for at least another year. In the meantime, Ballard says, the school district has a financial shortfall of more than $6 million for which to account. And while he sticks by his commitment to protect teaching positions in the coming fiscal year, he does not rule out the possibility of attrition and other losses.
But, while to say the districts are stretched thin would be a massive understatement, neither Tulsa nor Oklahoma City Public Schools are taking the crisis lying down. Both superintendents are determined to move beyond the mere survival of their districts; they are still making plans to provide a better education for the students who rely upon them.
Fact: Oklahoma consistently ranks near the bottom of the nation in per-pupil expenditures and teacher salaries.
“It’s so important that we recognize that we need to improve our students’ quality of education,” Springer says.
One of the ways Oklahoma City Public Schools plans to accomplish this is through the adoption of a continuous learning calendar, which, among other changes, will see district schools opening for classes Aug. 1 – about three weeks sooner than most districts.
“The continuous learning calendar will provide new opportunities for students to attend school early and for more student remediation,” Springer says.
In addition, Oklahoma City will welcome 54 teachers from Teach for America to the district, and add 30 new pre-kindergarten teachers. “We’ve truly tried to stretch every nickel we have to provide quality education for our children and for it to be better every year,” Springer says.
Ballard, too, has been busy, guiding Project Schoolhouse from theory into reality and making big plans for the future of his district and its students.
In the meantime, both superintendents are steering their ships through some very stormy seas.
“The class sizes we had last year – and the year coming up – are unacceptably large,” Springer says. “But we can’t hire more teachers to achieve an educational program optimum. The legislature needs to understand that this is what small government looks like. There is something wrong with having to have such large class sizes. The most important aspect of this state’s future is the kids that go to public schools.”
Springer also touts the need for financial relief for Oklahoma’s overburdened teachers.
“We’ve got to make it so people who teach are paid a salary that commands some respect. Salaries simply aren’t high enough, and people who take on this job because they love children place an economic burden on themselves and their families,” he says.
Ballard emphasizes the role the public can play in drawing attention to public schools’ challenges.
“Education is in crisis, and if parents and community members don’t voice their dissatisfaction, it may be too late to turn the tide,” he says.
“We at TPS are doing everything in our power to ‘right the ship’ – from Project Schoolhouse, to Teacher-Leader Effectiveness that you will be hearing more about as we begin to communicate this important initiative. Now it’s up to citizens to tell our legislators that public education needs to be our number one priority. To do anything less is to do a disservice to our children and future generations.”
Not Just Cost-cutting
In the wake of recent cuts to state funding for K-12 public education, Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Keith Ballard had a vision called Project Schoolhouse. The initiative is expected to save Tulsa Public Schools approximately $5 million annually and includes the realignment and consolidation of the city’s individual school districts and the closing of several schools. But there is much more to the project than saving a buck.
“For me, it became a very personal mission to restore equity in education to a system that has been rife with inequities,” Ballard says. “Now, by leveraging student numbers more efficiently, we will be able to restore programming like art, music, physical education and other curriculum that had slowly been chipped away at a number of schools. This is great news for children who have not had the benefit of an expanded curriculum. Additionally, I believe the restructuring of grade configuration will better serve TPS students.”
The project calls for the closure of 14 buildings, 13 of which are schools. Nine facilities – Bryant, Gilcrease, Hamilton, Houston, Lewis and Clark, Madison, Nimitz, Phillips and Rogers – will be repurposed, with students redistributed to other schools. One facility at Monroe will be reopened as a school. Ballard has worked closely with parents and other members of the Tulsa community during the changes. He says they have been very supportive and recognize the need for change.
“Project Schoolhouse has always been about providing a quality learning experience for every student,” he says. “It’s about allocating our resources equitably and meeting a high educational standard. Our goal is to make every neighborhood school of a consistently high quality so parents will feel comfortable sending their children there.”
A+ High Marks
While the state’s public education system may be facing dark times, some Oklahoma schools are receiving national recognition for the quality of education they offer. Both the Classen School of Advanced Studies in Oklahoma City and Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa recently were named to the top 100 of Newsweek’s “America’s Best High Schools” list. Both schools are funded by their respective districts and consistently receive honors for their programs, teachers and students.
Valerie Harris, principal at Classen SAS, attributes her school’s success to exceptional teachers, parental involvement, motivated students and close attention to school data.
“We encourage staff to be creative and innovative and to think out of the box,” Harris says. “If something does not work, we will evaluate it, adjust and try again.”
“The secrets to our success are the teachers, students, parents and the community,” says James Furch, Booker T. Washington principal. He cites the numerous honors students receive – including more than $15 million in scholarship funds recently received by a senior class of less than 300 pupils – as evidence of the school’s exceptional results.
Building upon the school’s already impressive reputation, Harris plans to keep Classen’s programs growing apace with its future. “We never want to become stagnant,” she says. “We are always looking and searching for ways to improve.”
